Love seeketh only self to please,
To bind another to its delight,
Joys in another's loss of ease,
And builds a Hell in Heaven's despite.

William Blake

Songs of Experience

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More information about this quote

Topic

Selfish love Love

Author

William Blake

Source

Songs of Experience

Medium

Poem

Language

English

Time

1794 1790s 18th century

Occupation

Artist Poet Writer

From

United Kingdom Europe

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Blake, William. "The Clod and the Pebble." Songs of Innocence and of Experience Shewing the Two Contrary States of the Human Soul. London, 1794.

Current Citation

Blake, William. "The Clod & the Pebble." William Blake: Selected Poems, edited by Nicholas Shrimpton. Oxford University Press, 2019.

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A quote by William Blake about selfish love: “Love seeketh only self to please, To bind another to its delight…”
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Related Quotes

Below are one or more quotes that share at least one tag with the quote at the top of the page

Another quote by William Blake

The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom.

William Blake

The Marriage of Heaven and Hell

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More information about this quote
Topic
Learning from mistakes Mistakes Excess Wisdom

Author

William Blake
Source
The Marriage of Heaven and Hell
Medium
Poem
Genre
Philosophical literature
Statement Type
Proverbs, aphorisms and adages Paradox
Language
English
Time
1793 1790s 18th century
Authentication Score 2
Original Citation

Blake, William. "The Argument." The Marriage of Heaven and Hell. c. 1790.

Current Citation

Blake, William. "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell." The Complete Poetry and Prose of William Blake, edited by David V. Erdman. University of California Press, 2008.

Another quote from the 1790s

My country is the world, and my religion is to do good.

Thomas Paine

Rights of Man

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More information about this quote
Topic
Citizens of the world Religion

Author

Thomas Paine
Source
Rights of Man
Genre
Philosophical literature Political literature
Language
English
Time
1792 1790s 18th century
Authentication Score 3
Original Citation

Paine, Thomas. Rights of man. Part the second. London: J. S. Jordan, 1792.

Current Citation

Paine, Thomas. "Rights of Man Part the second." Rights of Man, Common Sense, and Other Political Writings, edited by Mark Philp. Oxford University Press, 2009.

Another quote about Love

Love comforteth like sunshine after rain.

William Shakespeare

Venus and Adonis

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More information about this quote
Topic
Nature of love Love

Author

William Shakespeare
Source
Venus and Adonis
Medium
Poem
Genre
Narrative poem
Statement Type
Metaphor, analogy and simile
Language
English
Time
1593 1590s 16th century
Era
European Renaissance
Authentication Score 2
Original Citation

Shakespeare, William. Venus and Adonis. London: Richard Field, 1593, I. 799.

Current Citation

Shakespeare, William. "Venus and Adonis." The Norton Shakespeare, edited by Stephen Greenblatt, et al., 3rd ed., W. W. Norton & Company, 2015.